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Privacy Concerns and Disclosure of Biometric and Behavioral Data for Travel
No full textIn light of mounting privacy concerns over the increasing collection and use of biometric and behavioral information for travel facilitation, this study examines travelers’ online privacy concerns (TOPC) and its impact on willingness to share data with travel providers. A proposed theoretical model explaining antecedents and outcomes of TOPC related to biometric and behavioral data sharing was tested using structural equation modeling with data collected from 685 travelers. The results extend the Antecedents – Privacy Concerns – Outcomes (APCO) framework by identifying a set of salient individual factors that shape TOPC. The findings provide empirical evidence confirming the context dependence of privacy preferences, showing that although travelers are concerned over their information privacy they are still willing to share their behavioral data; while in the case of biometric information, the disclosure decision is dependent upon expected benefits rather than privacy concerns. This study offers insights into privacy behavior of online consumers in the travel context and constitutes one of the few focusing on the social aspects of biometric authentication
Entrepreneurship and innovation in Africa's artisanal and small-scale mining sector: Developments and trajectories
Full text linkThis paper explores how artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) – low-tech, labour-intensive mineral processing and extraction – has evolved in sub-Saharan Africa in recent decades. The analysis focuses specifically on the types of entrepreneurs who pursue work at, and innovation that occurs in, the region's ASM sites, using ideas debated heavily in the management literature, as well as complementary theories and concepts from other disciplines, including development studies, anthropology and human geography. Drawing on findings from ongoing research in Sierra Leone and Liberia, the locations of two of the largest and most complex ASM economies in sub-Saharan Africa, it is argued that legal and policy frameworks implemented for the sector are not aligned with the needs and capabilities of operators, and have therefore impeded efforts to formalize activities. In both countries, these frameworks have created and subsequently galvanized the boundary between two very different ‘worlds’: on the one hand, that of a burgeoning semi-formal artisanal group with limited capacity to mechanize, and on the other hand, that of a small number of individuals who have managed to overcome crippling financial barriers to secure titles to mine using more advanced technology
Empowering householders: Identifying predictors of intentions to use a home energy management system in the United Kingdom
Full text linkTrials of technologies designed to promote residential demand-side energy management (DSM) have found aggregate levels of load-shifting behaviour and curtailment in energy use. These aggregate data, however, mask considerable differences in people's engagement in DSM at an individual household level. We present the findings of a quantitative exploration of people's intentions to use a home energy management system (HEMS) for residential DSM in the United Kingdom. The technology acceptance model (TAM) was used in conjunction with constructs measuring psychological empowerment and environmental attitudes to explore participants' acceptance of a HEMS to facilitate load-shifting. Findings from a mediation analysis showed perceptions of the usefulness of the HEMS and its ease of use were important predictors of people's intentions to use one. They also highlight a potential conflict between an individual's home energy consumption goals and national DSM goals. The implications of these findings for understanding end-user acceptance of HEMS are discussed. We conclude that seeking opportunities to promote shared, internalised goals for residential DSM may be an avenue for increasing the uptake and use of technologies designed to enable load-shifting (and other energy conservation behaviours) among end-users
Merit Sticks to Men: Gender Pay Gaps and (In)equality at UK Russell Group Universities
Full text linkAcademic studies of gender pay gaps within higher education institutions have consistently found pay differences. However, theory on how organisation-level factors contribute to pay gaps is underdeveloped. Using a framework of relational inequalities and advanced quantitative analysis, this paper makes a case that gender pay gaps are based on organisation-level interpretations and associated management practices to reward ‘merit’ that perpetuate inequalities. Payroll data of academic staff within two UK Russell Group universities (N = 1,998 and 1,789) with seeming best-practice formal pay systems are analysed to determine causes of gender pay gaps. We find marked similarities between universities. Most of the variability is attributed to factors of job segregation and human capital, however we also delineate a set of demographic characteristics that, when combined, are highly rewarded without explanation. Based on our analysis of the recognition of ‘merit,’ we extend theoretical explanations of gender pay gap causes to incorporate organisation-level practices
A Multimodal Approach to Improve Fitness and Surgical Outcomes for Patients Undergoing Pancreatic Resection
Full text linkPancreatic surgery is associated with significant morbidity. Objectively measured aerobic fitness can predict postoperative outcomes. Similarly, poor insulin sensitivity is associated with postoperative complications. Supervised exercise training can improve cardiorespiratory fitness and insulin sensitivity. Immunonutrition may work synergistically with exercise. The primary objective of this thesis was to investigate the effect of multimodal prehabilitation on aerobic and metabolic fitness, in patients undergoing pancreatic surgery.In this prospective, non-randomised pilot study, we recruited patients with benign or malignant pathology, listed for pancreatic resection. Subjects underwent a baseline cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). Insulin sensitivity was measured using the gold standard technique, the hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp. The 4-week intervention comprised: resistance and high intensity interval training (ten sessions) plus daily eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (2g), and extra virgin olive oil (30 ml). CPETs and clamps were repeated after four weeks. These were compared with contemporaneous non-randomised controls.Of 21 recruited patients, 12 out of 12 (prehab) and 6 out of 9 (control) completed the study. Prehabilitation led to an improvement in oxygen uptake at anaerobic threshold (+2.0 (95 per cent CI 0.1 to 4.0) ml kg-1 min-1) and peak exercise (+3.0 (95 per cent CI 0.7 to 5.3) ml kg-1 min-1), compared to controls. Within the prehab group, there were significant improvements in peak power (P = 0.001), oxygen uptake at anaerobic threshold (P = 0.017) and peak exercise (P = 0.002). Aerobic fitness was unchanged amongst controls. Insulin sensitivity did not change in either group.There is limited work on biological incorporation, in relation to nutritional prehabilitation; a secondary component of this thesis demonstrated a significant increase in serum phospholipid eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, after supplementation. Sleep duration and well-being also improved following prehabilitation.Multimodal prehabilitation can increase aerobic fitness before major pancreatic surgery. This is a novel finding, which could impact postoperative outcomes. Furthermore, this is the first study to measure the metabolic effect of prehabilitation
Improving sanitary inspections for small drinking-water supplies
Full text linkThe risk-based approach to drinking-water safety management has been widely adopted within the water sector since 2004 when the World Health Organisation (WHO) championed the use of Water Safety Plans (WSPs) as a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management approach that encompasses all steps in water supply from catchment to consumer. Due to the high resource requirements for full WSP implementation, an alternative risk assessment approach is required where WSP rollout is either not feasible or warranted, which is often especially pertinent within small drinking-water supplies.Sanitary inspections (SIs), which typically consist of a set of questions to identify observable breakdowns in supply protection; and sources and pathways of contamination, may serve numerous functions including use within the WSP of a large supply; as a basic or introductory WSP for a small supply; and as a tool for water safety surveillance activities. The use of risk assessments within the drinking-water sector is not novel, however the first suite of global SI templates was published just 24 years ago in the 1997 WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (GDWQ). With the impending publication of the subsequent edition of these GDWQ, which are often used to guide development of regulations such as the new European Union (EU) Drinking-water Directive (DWD), review of the content and format of the SI forms to be included within the revised publication was timely.This study used a mixed methods approach to improve SIs for small drinking-water supplies. In addition to the rigorous review and revision of the WHO SI forms based on literature review; group discussion; and expert and practitioner review, additional research questions relating to the consistency of SI answering between cohorts; the effect of training on SI answer consistency; approaches to SI adaptation; and the impacts related to SI implementation were all tested and investigated using qualitative and quantitative methods both online and during field studies in Iceland, Malawi and Uganda.The main contribution to the literature stemming from this research, which demonstrates the originality, rigour, and significance of the work, will be the publication of the revised suite of SI forms in the new WHO GDWQ. These resources will be used widely for practical implementation of risk assessments either by direct use of the WHO templates, or by use as a reference point for adaptation. The research related to SI adaptation undertaken during this study will provide an initial point of reference for those endeavouring to adapt or develop their own SI materials.The main limiting factor of each individual research objective was the use of small sample sizes, which was due to restricted PhD study resources. The future advancement of SIs will rely heavily on their digitalization. SI forms that can be adapted in real-time to adjust to unique supply circumstances or configurations, or that guide inspectors who possess low levels of knowledge by showing interactive examples of operational definitions or risks, are examples of how technology could further improve the SI approach. Considering the potential for software to recognise that, for example, certain combinations of risk factors and metadata, such as rainfall, may cause an increased threat to water quality, the SI may soon become the most powerful tool for drinking-water management and surveillance
DEHM: An Improved Differential Evolution Algorithm using Hierarchical Multi-strategy in a Cybertwin 6G Network
No full textDifferential evolution (DE) algorithm can be used in edge/cloud cyberspace to find an optimal solution due to its effectiveness and robustness}. With the rapid increase of the mobile traffic data and resources in a cybertwin-driven 6G network, the DE algorithm faces some problems such as premature convergence and search stagnation. To deal with the problems mentioned above, an improved DE algorithm based on hierarchical multi-strategy in a cybertwin-driven 6G network (denoted by DEHM) is proposed. Based on the fitness value of the population, DEHM classifies the population into three sub-population. Regarding each sub-population, DEHM adopts different mutation strategies to achieve a tradeoff between convergence speed and population diversity. In addition, a new selection strategy is presented to ensure that the potential individual with good genes is not lost. Experimental results suggest that the DEHM algorithm surpasses other benchmark algorithms in the field of convergence speed and accuracy
Concepts of Transdisciplinary Engineering: A Transdisciplinary Landscape
Full text linkThe term ‘transdisciplinary’ is receiving increased attention within engineering academic and research funding communities. We survey authors of papers presented at the 27th ISTE International Transdisciplinary Engineering Conference (TE2020) to answer two research questions: 1) How do authors define transdisciplinary engineering? 2) What do authors perceive differentiates interdisciplinary engineering research from transdisciplinary engineering research? Responses from thirty-four participants (50%), are qualitatively analysed. Results show that for the three characteristics commonly used in characterisations of transdisciplinarity (goal, collaboration and integration), multiple concepts exist. These range from generic expressions which overlap with how interdisciplinarity is defined within the general literature, to stronger, more definitive expressions. Conclusions find that rather than a single definition a transdisciplinary landscape exists. To enable users to define where they sit in the transdisciplinary landscape, we create a framework enabling users to map their position under the three key characteristics of goal, collaboration and integration
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